


Follow Me Down

by MarbleWolf



Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Assassination Attempt(s), BAMF Okumura Rin, Blood and Gore, Drug Use, Gang Violence, Gen, Graphic Description, Minor Character Death, Murderers, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Pre-Canon, Protective Okumura Rin, Serial Killers, Territorial Rin Okumura, Torture, True Cross Academy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-29
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:26:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27260431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarbleWolf/pseuds/MarbleWolf
Summary: True Cross is a prestigious place. The aura of a powerful demon radiates outward from the very top of the city. Everyone can sense it, it drives the criminals away from the center and into  Southern True Cross. Rin goes to great lengths to protect what is his. Southern True Cross is his home. How dare anyone try to destroy it. He will keep his home safe.*read the tags. This will get bloody. Pre-series
Comments: 2
Kudos: 31





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER- I do not own Blue Exorcist. 
> 
> So this fic came from an idea someone had a while back in a Discord chat I am in. I asked to be able to write something for it. This chapter is pretty much a introduction just to test the waters.

The crack of a metal covered fist against flesh echoed in the near silence of the alley. Rain swept from the sky washing away any traces of blood from the young teenager standing above the balding man. The teen’s hair was a wet mop, plastered to his face. His eyes were alight with adrenaline, teeth bared in a snarl. His fist snapped into the man’s temple one last time before he was satisfied. He turned, blue eyes reflecting the lightning dancing in the sky, and made his way out of the filthy alley. He pocketed his brass knuckles, pleased the rain had cleaned them. Below his boots beer bottles and glass crunched loudly, he kicked aside trash and kept his eyes wide open.   
You didn’t shut your eyes out here. Not for even a second. He fingered the switchblade at his hip, ready to use it. The chain hanging from his jeans made a musical clatter as he walked. His shirt and jacket were stuck to his skin by sweat and rain water. His breath escaped him in curling vapors, his nose and ears stung in the bitter weather.   
He hoped to make it home without anymore trouble… he twitched as thunder roared above. All he wanted was to get home. The shadows seemed to stare as he passed by, his gloved hands clenched.   
He knew these streets like the back of his hand. He knew where the worse people would congregate. He knew what was watching him in the shadows. He had been defending the innocents of this place for years now. It was rewarding and it felt good to use his strength for good just like his dad told him to. This godforsaken town needed all the help it could get.   
A door was tossed open, making Rin jump. An elderly woman beamed at him, beckoning him closer. “Rin! Sweetie, it’s so cold out here! Come inside, you can eat with us!”   
Rin knew he was most likely in for a scolding when he reached the Monestary, as he had skipped school to track down the latest evil bastard, so he happily accepted. He would probably be sent to his room without food, he would take the opportunity to eat now.   
The home was tiny, the walls thin and the furniture threadbare and worn. An elderly man stood on shaky legs as he saw Rin.   
“Ah! The Angel boy returns! You sure are getting tall!”   
Rin beamed at the compliment, mentally comparing himself to Yukio’s taller frame. “Can I help with dinner?”   
“Of course! Dinner is always best with you here, angel.”   
____________________________________

Rin left the home a couple hours later, feeling full and warm. He had also received $10 that would be going into the Monestary’s donation box, where it would hopefully be used towards Yukio’s schooling. The sun had fallen to the horizon, hidden by the torrential rain falling. He was more relaxed and less wired now that his adrenaline had wore off some. He was ready to rest now. He kept walking through the ugly weather, flinching as cold wind ripped at his hair. He was preparing a speech for his dad (he was bound to be in a ton of trouble) when he heard a scream shatter the fragile peace of Southern True Cross. The shadows seemed to come to life like a great pile of disturbed spiders. Blinds in windows moved, some people’s lights quickly turned out. Running footsteps splashed in the slushy water in the streets. It was officially nighttime. Rin growled, this was his town. No one hurt his people and got away with it. He lunged forward, searching for the source of that scream.   
The culprit who caused that scream better hope Rin doesn’t find them. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh so... this chapter has a pretty dark/scary part to it. Following TongueTiedRaven's example, if it bothers you and you want to skip I marked it with ******** and the warning. 
> 
> I had a lot of fun writing this but that makes me sound horrible lol. 
> 
> The first part has suggestive material about a child (Yukio).

Chapter 2

_ Rin was still practically a toddler when he began chasing bullies away from Yukio. He was eight years old when he took on his first adults. He had forgotten his jacket in the classroom and had gone back for it. Yukio had continued walking home with Rin several yards behind him. As he walked, two tall young adult men began to follow Yukio. Rin thanked God for whatever gave him such a strong sense of hearing.  _

_ “… grab him. He is a cute one. Could get us good money.” One of the men’s voice was gruff and made Rin shudder. Where… where they talking about Yukio? The men started to walk faster, gaining on Rin’s little brother. The little nerd had his face in a thick black book with some weird symbols on the front. He didn’t see them coming towards him. Rin didn’t like this at all. _

_ “You get him.” Yukio was too close to them now. They wanted to hurt Yukio. The flash of silver had Rin rushing forward. He had seen enough movies to know what that could be. His short legs carried him impossibly fast, knocking into the men. The scuffle didn’t seem to rouse Yukio, who was fiddling with a strange key before he turned the corner and disappeared from sight.  _

_ Rin’s hair was snatched up and he grinned at the men. His tiny fist collided with one of their noses, a loud crack and the rush of red enraged the other man. It was almost comedic… a little boy, beating up the big men. Rin couldn’t let them get Yukio. They would hurt him.  _

* * *

That was years ago and Rin wasn’t a tiny kid anymore. He understood what he had saved Yukio from now. Tiny Yukio had almost been taken and hurt in too many horrible ways. Rin wouldn’t allow anyone to touch Yukio. 

He grimaced at the blood stains on his shirt. Most of Rin’s clothing had suspicious maroon stains on them. Shiro would know… Rin had been getting into fights again. His father figure didn’t know why and he couldn’t even begin to understand. Rin didn’t want to stress the old fart out even more. Rin was known as Reaper in every corner of Southern True Cross except for the Monastery. The Reaper took on some of the worse characters in the area. 

Rin hid his weapons in a small box tucked under the slide in the Monastery’s playground. His father wasn’t waiting for him… good. Rin yawned, exhausted from the late night and the several fights he had been in. His hand now laid against the door knob of his bedroom. He could see the light was still on and that probably meant Yukio was still awake. Here comes yet another fight. This one was the worse to Rin. 

“You might as well come in, Rin.” Rin flinched at Yukio’s stern voice. 

The door creaked as he opened it, he couldn’t meet Yukio’s eyes. Rin wasn’t ashamed of what he did for the people of Southern True Cross but the toll it took on his mind, body and soul was exhausting. All he wanted was to rest, not another fight.

“Did you get into another fight?” Why did Yukio still act surprised? 

“And if I did?” Rin gritted his teeth. He started to take his clothes off, disgusted by the filthy garments, and tossing them aside.

“You know dad doesn’t have enough money to replace all the clothes you ruin.” Yukio scolded, his hand traced a bloody hole on the side of Rin’s shirt. Yukio gasped as his fingers came away wet and red. Rin glanced down at the knife wound on his side, it still bled sluggishly, staining the skin around it a rusty color.

“RIN!” Yukio’s voice was almost shrill. Rin groaned aloud, his body flopped onto his bed. He wanted to rest, dammit. Yukio was hovering above Rin now, his hands trailing down Rin’s bare torso where various cuts and bruises decorated the flesh. “What did you do?!” 

“It was a normal fight.” Rin replied, his eye lids heavy. 

A slap to his cheek made him jerk awake. “Stay awake! You are bleeding!” 

“Just leave it, Yukio. I’ll be fine. This isn’t the first time.” 

Yukio huffed. “And it won’t be the last, will it, Rin?” 

“Probably not.” Rin admitted.  _ So no other kids end up where you almost did. _

Yukio sat down on his own bed, his head in his hands. “What are you doing with your life, Rin?” 

_ Keeping you safe _ . “Ah… people just piss me off.” 

“That’s not a good answer.” 

“It’s the only one you are going to get. Because it’s the truth.”  _ Lies. Just let me protect you, Yukio. _

Yukio left it at that, the twins finally going to bed. A mere three hours later, just as the sky was beginning to lighten, Yukio’s phone rang. Rin’s eyes snapped open in the dark, listening as Yukio answered the phone. 

“Yessir. I’ll be right there.” Yukio then got ready in a flurry, turning the lamp on to its dimmed setting. Rin shut his eyes and tried not to tense as Yukio sat next to Rin’s “sleeping" form. His warm, calloused hands prodded at Rin’s knife wound and over his bruised ribs, then stroked Rin’s hair. 

“I have to protect you, Rin. But I can’t from yourself.” He stood, and Rin opened his eyes a sliver, the soft jangle of keys rang out in the silence. Yukio inserted a key in the door and stepped through the doorway. Rin couldn’t decide what he saw was a dream or not… but regardless, it was time to get up. Rin’s body was restless and eager to walk as far as he could. He dressed quickly and turned to the door Yukio had left through. 

“I don’t know what you are protecting me from, but I guess I’m returning the favor. Good luck, little brother.” With a small salute, Rin left through the window, bounding away from the Monastery. He found his normal route with the precision of a seasoned hunter and started his day before the sun even came up. 

* * *

Far away, Yukio was fighting off a demon, his father at his side. Yukio dodged the razor sharp claws, wincing as the demon shrieked in frustration. He was thankful Rin didn’t have to handle anything this dangerous. Rin was safely tucked in his bed, away from this deer-headed forest demon. 

* * *

The sun was still low enough for the fog to be a hindrance. Rin had been given breakfast by a young woman who he had saved from being mugged several months back. Rin nibbled on the food before offering the rest to some scarred up cats. He kept an eye on the skittish felines while they ate, ensuring no one hurt them.

Rin trotted through the city, kicking glass out of the road. Drug dealers and prostitutes were just leaving their night spots, he nodded to them, knowing they didn't  _ try _ to hurt anyone. They were just trying to survive in this cruel place. Someone passed him a lit cigarette and he inhaled a lung full of smoke before passing it back. The fourteen year old knew he shouldn't smoke or drink at his age but you never didn't accept such an offering. The smoke curled past his lips as he slowly blew smoke rings. The scattered people applauded him and he slipped away, down the alley. 

The rest of the day was normal. No one liked to start trouble in the middle of the day. (Didn't mean it never happened.) 

It was about five in the evening when he felt a disturbance. Someone was watching him. He shivered, unsettled by the eyes he could feel on him. He dug his hands into his pockets, looping his fingers through brass and his other hand around the switchblade. He kept closer to the shadows, expecting to draw the person out. He kept his pace lazy and confident, even as he fought off the urge to whip his head around. 

His (stupid) plan worked when a hand latched onto his throat and dragged him into an old office building. Rin slashed out with the knife, cutting into meaty flesh of a shoulder. His other hand was fisted around the brass knuckles, slamming them into the man. A hiss of laughter and his head was slammed into the rotted wooden wall again, and again. While he was disoriented, the man shoved him face first into the wall, forcing his hands behind his back. He flailed and squirmed, slashing out with his knife as well as he could. Light filled his eyes as his head hit once more, something wet spilled into his eyes, as the man fisted his hair.. All Rin could think was,  _ don't drop the knife.  _

"You are a feisty one, eh? Like a little tiger! I like that." The voice was trembling with excitement. A rancid smell of rotting flesh filled Rin's sensitive nose. It seemed to be coming from the man himself. He began to drag Rin back, kicking his legs out from under him, and yanking the knife away. Rin's strongest weapon was gone. But he couldn't afford to panic yet. He decided to play along for a moment, try to see if the man will let his guard down. This wasn't the first time Rin had run into a sadistic bastard but this guy was  _ STRONG _ . Rin could hardly shake his grip. 

He was led further into the building, then down a flight of stairs, his eyes desperately drinking in where he was in the event of his escape. 

*

**** sensative topics ahead! Mentions of drugs and tools and aftermath of torture and murder*********

*

The stench of decay, blood and something like rotten eggs was cloying as they reached the bottom. The overall atmosphere was jarring, impossibly cold. The kind that sent a chill down your spine and hair stand on end. The flickering of antique oil lamps around the room sent more foul smells into the air. A rotting bowl of… fat? sat near the lamps. Another table was lined with syringes and dirty needles, bags of white and brown clumpy powder were lined up. The bags had names on them; Brown Sugar, Angel Dust, White Lady, and Apache. Drugs. In the center of the room, two wrist shackles were draped over a metal table. Leather, bloody straps ran over the center… to hold down the torso. And behind that, dozens of stacked up human corpses laid out like pigs in a slaughter house. The poor people had been gutted, entrails removed and no… Rin looked away, his stomach churning. His heart was pounding. He had to get out now. 

"You sure are a pretty tiger. Maybe I'll keep that pretty face." The man whispered in his ear. Rin renewed his efforts to get away. This was on a whole other level. He couldn't take this guy on. How had he escaped Rin's notice? 

Rin's nose cracked as he was thrown into the metal table. He spat blood out and fought against the slap of heavy rust colored shackles. He was heaved up and laid face down on the table and Rin knew he wasn't getting out of this. 

_ I'm sorry, Yukio.  _

* * *

_ I'm sorry, Yukio. _

Yukio's head snapped up from where he sat next to his father at his desk. Was that  _ Rin?  _

"Yukio?" Shiro shook Yukio from his mind. "What's wrong?" 

"I… I thought I heard Rin." Yukio frowned. 

"Twin telepathy is said to be a thing. Maybe it was something like that." 

"Maybe…" Yukio didn't like the tone of Rin's voice though. He had sounded defeated. 

* * *

************ **Torture scene and suggestive material ahead** *****************

This dude was sick. He talked to the corpses. He treated Rin like a dog. He kept up a flowing conversation as he slashed Rin's clothes away and made even shallow cuts into Rin's skin with a thin razor blade. He started at the tips of Rin's toes, up the bottoms of his feet. Threatened to sever the Achilles tendon and do damage to the sensitive back of the knee. The cuts became longer up his thighs and along his back. 

The precision of the cuts was frightening. This guy wasn't  _ insane _ . He was doing it of his own free will. Rin's skin was twitchy and his muscles tense as the man approached the back of his neck. The razor was so sharp he could honestly say he didn't feel the cuts very much. It just felt cold, then hot and wet. No real pain, which really threw him off. 

"Ahhhh look at your stripes! Pretty tiger." Filthy, bloody hands stroked his hair back from his face. "I could mount your head on the wall. Skin you and use you like a rug. We humans are just animals after all. We should treat each other like animals!"

The man's nose rested against Rin's throat, the man's hand holding the razor was loose. Rin made his move. He lunged as well as he could, roping the man's head down with the chain from the shackles. 

The man tried to pull away but Rin held tight, tensing his muscles and yanking. The leather torso strap must've had a weakness in it somewhere as it tore away, the shackles were bolted to the table, a strong yank had Rin (with shackles still on his wrists) as free as he could get. He stood and finally felt the pain to its full extent. The tugging of the tiny cuts, slightly bigger than a paper cut, hurt with every movement he made. The man was kneeling, he wheezed and rubbed at the bright red on his throat. 

Rin finally saw the man in full view. The man was huge, filthy, hole covered clothes. The man's eyes weren't right… they were too bright and he grinned like a Cheshire cat. 

******* **Aftermath of Torture the rest of the chapter**

The man gave a throaty laugh, "Lookie! First to ever get loose." 

Rin took a step back, breathing through the agony, he was close to the burning lamps. The man was creeping towards him. He swung his arm, shattering the glass that held back the fire. The fire touched the bowl of fat and lapped at the very dry wooden wall. A nice large flame was roaring to life in seconds. The man applauded and rushed at Rin. He looked far too cheerful running straight towards the fire. 

Rin dodged him, and shoved the man into the fire. The scent of the fire was changing, becoming sweeter the colors of the room brightening. Rin whipped around to see the fire swallowing up the deadly drugs. The smoke drifting off, affecting him and he held his breath. 

Arms grabbed him and he kicked out, his sore feet colliding with the man's chest. Rin ran, leaving his clothes and shoes behind. He about tore the door off the basement, his hands shook. He slammed the door shut behind him, and began grabbing any large things he could see. He piled old office desks, filing cabinets and all in front of the door. That man had to die down there. He couldn't,  _ couldn't,  _ allow a man like that to live. 

Then Rin tore out of the building like Hell itself was at his heels. He was sobbing as he rushed along. Thank god it was dark. No one could tell he was naked or see the bloody stripes painted into his flesh. 

Rin broke into a clothing store on his way home, stealing clothes wasn't something he normally did. But he didn't have a choice. He stopped in the bathroom, his entire back half of his body was lined with angry red wounds, swollen and bubbling with scarlet. He washed himself as well as he could, scrubbing away the blood. His feet took extra care, dirt and rocks had clotted in the cuts. He washed his hair and the cut hidden in his hair. The sink was stained after but he got it done. He changed into the darkest and cheapest clothes he could find, remorseful for his theft. 

He limped home, feeling disoriented and dizzy. His hands were shaking, the fear from the past few hours was getting to him. He couldn't think very well… he wanted his dad. He sniffled, clumsily wiping tears from off his cheeks. 

The Monastery was still lit up as he approached. He swallowed down the last of his weakness, plastered on a his wide confident grin and sauntered *limped* into the front hall. 

"Rin… where have you been this time?" His dad didn't sound happy.

"Ahhhh…. Just…. Around." Rin slurred. Rin couldn't tell him. Couldn't say how much his body throbbed and how close he came to death. He wanted to crawl into his father's arms but he couldn't. 

"Mmmmmhm. Want to explain why you look as high as a crack addict? Your shirt is on backwards kid. And you left the tags on." Shiro and Yukio stood side by side, staring Rin down. Yukio looked confused and mildly concerned. Shiro looked furious. 

Rin was in some deep shit. 


End file.
